Taiwan's president defiant in interview

EDWARD CODYThe Washington Post

Published Sunday, July 08, 2007

TAIPEI -- President Chen Shui-bian, dismissing U.S. objections as appeasement of China, said Taiwan will press ahead with a controversial referendum on whether the self-ruled island should apply for U.N. membership under the name Taiwan.

Chen's defiant stand, outlined in frank language during an interview Friday, raised the prospect of a rocky period in Taiwan's relations with the Bush administration and a rise of tension across the volatile 100-mile strait separating Taiwan from mainland China.

China and the United States have complained that the referendum, which would have little practical effect, in fact is designed to promote a change in the island's official name, from Republic of China to Taiwan. This, both governments charged, could be read as a unilateral change in the island's status, something China's rulers have said they will not tolerate.

The island has been called the Republic of China since Chiang Kai-shek's Nationalist forces fled here after being defeated by the Communists of Mao Zedong in 1949. China has said it must one day reunite with the mainland and has vowed to use force if necessary to prevent a decisive move toward independence -- such as changing the official name to Taiwan.

But Chen, an ardent independence advocate who is nearing the end of his second four-year term, said the idea of such a referendum has been endorsed by the main opposition group, the Nationalist Party, as well as his own People's Progressive Party and was supported by 71 percent of Taiwanese citizens questioned in a national poll. Canceling the plans would amount to frustrating the democratic rights of Taiwan's 23 million people to express their views and guide government policies, he said.

"The path we have embarked on is the right one, and we shall continue to follow it," he declared.

Although the plan still faces legal challenges, the government has said it will be held at the same time as the election to choose Chen's successor, scheduled for March 22. This will have the effect of focusing voters' attention on the independence issue, which is likely to boost the chances of Chen's party in the presidential vote and in legislative elections scheduled Jan. 12.

The Nationalist Party, although its presidential candidate Ma Yin-jeou favors de-emphasizing the independence struggle, decided Wednesday to endorse the referendum, while keeping the name issue open. A key Nationalist leader said the party acted out of electoral considerations, not wanting to appear anti-nationalist to centrist voters.

Chen, suddenly animated and making gestures after a long period of sitting motionless in the interview, said the Nationalists "did not dare" oppose the referendum because it represents what has become mainstream opinion in Taiwan, which he defined as "Taiwan-centric consciousness."

In any case, he said, he cannot understand on what grounds the Bush administration voiced objections. "Is it about the matter of holding a referendum itself?" he asked. "Or about joining the U.N.? Or about using the name Taiwan? What is there to oppose in any of this?"

Officials in Washington should not worry so much, he said, because applying for U.N. membership under the name Taiwan would not affect the island's official name, which is defined elsewhere. As a result, he added, it would not constitute a violation of the pledges he made to the Bush administration to avoid changes \u2014 including changing the name \u2014 that could be viewed as provocative by China and perhaps lead to a crisis in the Taiwan Strait.

The United States, under the Taiwan Relations Act of 1979, has pledged to aid Taiwan in defending against any attack by China. It is unclear whether this would mean military intervention. But with the war in Iraq consuming attention in Washington, the Bush administration is eager to avoid having to face such a choice.

Against that background, the State Department last month issued a strong statement laying out U.S. objections to the referendum. The objections also have been conveyed in private diplomatic exchanges, with U.S. officials arguing it would unnecessarily raise tensions with Beijing.

"The U.S. opposes any initiative that appears designed to change Taiwan's status unilaterally," the statement said. "This would include a referendum on whether to apply to the U.N. under the name Taiwan."

Asked what lay behind the pressure from Washington, Chen said: "I think it is the China factor, and because the introduction of a referendum would not be in China's interests."

Chen said nevertheless he values Taiwan's long friendship with the United States and takes seriously the concerns voiced by Washington. He pledged to continue consultations with U.S. officials to avoid any "misunderstanding" on the issue, but gave no sign he was prepared to back down.